House approves authority to sue Trump advisers

The Democratic-led U.S. House of Representatives on Tuesday voted to give lawmakers clear authority to sue Trump administration figures who defy congressional subpoenas, including former White House Counsel Don McGahn.

House approves authority to sue Trump advisers

(SOUNDBITE) (English) REP.

JERRY NADLER, (D) NEW YORK, SAYING: "This unprecedented stonewalling by the administration is completely unacceptable." The Democratic-controlled House of Representatives voted on Tuesday to give House committees GREATER POWER to take the Trump administration to court for not cooperating with Congressional subpoenas.

Upsound -"without objection the motion to reconsider is laid on the table." It's part of a wider strategy to gain the upper hand in a fierce battle with the White House, as House Democrats investigate allegations of obstruction of justice and abuse of power by Trump while in office.

The vote along party lines gives House committee chairs the right to file lawsuits in federal court, seeking White House compliance with a wide range of investigations into Trump and his top aides.

That includes their subpoena to see the grand jury evidence from Special Counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation and another subpoena compelling former White House Counsel Don McGahn to testify about Trump's efforts to impede Mueller's probe.

JERRY NADLER, (D) NEW YORK, SAYING: "We will move as quickly as possible to go to court against Don McGahn, the president's former counsel, and any subsequent witnesses who disobey a committee subpoena." In his final report, Mueller declined to clear Trump of obstruction of justice.

The vote came a day after Nadler reached a deal with the Justice Department to give members of Congress access to some underlying evidence from the probe.

The deal sidelines any vote to find Attorney General William Barr in contempt of Congress for defying a subpoena.

Democrats are investigating Trump's policies, conduct in office and business dealings as they consider moving to impeachment, with Trump fighting them on all fronts.

(SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP, SAYING: "And all they do is waste time on investigations when there's no obstruction, no collusion, no nothing." Late on Monday, Trump urged an appeals court to overturn a ruling that said Trump's accounting firm must turn over 10 years of his financial records to Congress.